


Luminous

by rainbowtourmaline



Series: Zutara Week 2017 - My Favourite Things [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Badass Katara (Avatar), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Katara The Painted Lady, Partners in Crime, Season 3 Fanfiction, Season/Series 03, The Painted Lady - Freeform, Toph Being Awesome, Vigilante Katara (Avatar), Vigilante Zuko (Avatar), Zutara Week, Zutara Week - Starlight, Zutara Week 2017, sort of, starlight, therapy sessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 12:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11646768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowtourmaline/pseuds/rainbowtourmaline
Summary: “You’re the strong, silent type huh?” Zuko smiled sadly and stared into the fire he made. “I don’t blame you. I betrayed the last new friend I made, so I wouldn’t trust me either…”Katara was in deep air bison poop. Very deep.





	Luminous

Katara was in deep air bison poop. Very deep.

She hadn’t meant to get caught sabotaging Fire Nation military tanks by Prince Zuko of all people, but the universe seemed to really hate her at that moment. She stood stock still, hoping he wouldn’t see her and would quietly leave her alone.

“If you keep quiet about my involvement in this, I’ll help you.”

Damn it. And this was just Katara’s first step into deep air bison poop.

“I’m calling off the mission.” Katara told her brother. “He thinks I’m some kind of commoner rebel trying to fix how corrupt the Fire Nation is, when we want to take down the Fire Nation royal family!”

“Relax, Katara! This is great!” Sokka reassured her. “You buddy up with Zuko on your vigilante missions, get close to him and get him to spill the beans about the royal family! With how much he yaps about his personal life to you, we’ll find a secret we can use against the Fire Lord in no time!”

There was just one problem though.

“Sometimes I think Mai is just into me for my title and not me as a person, you know?”

“I feel like my relationship with my sister has gotten better – but at the same time I feel like it could all come apart at any time.”

“My dad talks to me and is proud of me, so why isn’t that enough?”

“I miss my Uncle a lot…”

Katara was still angry at Zuko to the point where she was tempted to leave him mid-rant and drown him in the lake they sat next to during one of his therapy sessions.

But Katara being the person who didn’t give up on people who needed her, was starting to feel sympathy for the Fire Nation Crown Prince again. And she hated herself for it.

“Anyway, thanks for letting me get all this stuff off my chest Painted Lady. I sit here for hours talking about my problems, but I never listen to yours…” Zuko smiled at Katara. Not that creepy smirk he used when he was trying to bribe her with her mother’s necklace a couple of months back, but a genuinely friendly grin that did things to Katara’s heartbeat, much to Toph’s amusement.

“Anything you’d like to share in the therapy session?”

Boy there was a lot of things Katara would have liked to say, some of which were quite nasty about the Fire Nation Prince, but she didn’t dare open her mouth. The Painted Lady was a silent creature of the night and to keep Zuko from catching on that she was actually the enemy, Katara didn’t say a word.

“You’re the strong, silent type huh?” Zuko smiled sadly and stared into the fire he made. “I don’t blame you. I betrayed the last new friend I made, so I wouldn’t trust me either…”

Katara stared at Zuko, so he continued.

“She tried to help me and I threw it back in her face. Which was a shame too, because I feel like she just… got me. In a way my friends and family back in the palace just don’t.”

‘Is he talking about me?’ Katara could feel her heart skip a bit and Toph grinning in the bushes as she ‘watched’ them.’

“Smoochy smoochy!” Toph would tease her later. “Someone’s in love!”

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” Zuko said as he added more wood to the fire. “She probably hates my guts now. Even if I ever saw her again, she’d probably try to water whip my head off…”

“Does… Zuko feel bad for hurting Katara?” Aang whispered in disbelief. I mean Katara told them about her and Zuko’s heart-to-heart in the cave, but he didn’t think anything of it until now.

“Nah, I mean it’s Zuko! He doesn’t care about people’s feelings and Katara knows that.” Sokka confidently waved his hand in dismissal. Katara hated Zuko even more than he did and she was the optimistic and compassionate sibling, there was no way she was getting soft on him now!

“Are you really sorry?” Sokka nearly screamed when Katara started talking in a deep, thick voice to hide her identity. Aang covered his lips to stop him from blowing their cover. “For what you did?”

Zuko stared at The Painted Lady.

“Well… I am sorry for hurting her feelings and betraying her, yes.” Zuko said. “But for coming back to the Fire Nation? I don’t know…”

“From all that you’ve told me, it doesn’t sound like you think you are doing the right thing for your country.” Katara said. “For one thing, you’re helping me stop the Fire Nation Army carrying out your father’s orders.”

“Well yeah, but…”

“But nothing, Prince Zuko.” Katara stood up from her seat on the log to stare him down, her dress fluttering with a dramatic flair to match her movements. “I think you know in your heart what is right, but you have let other people’s morality sway you. I think deep, deep down you’re a good person but you’re too easily corrupted by your love for your family.”  

“Hey, that’s not true! I have always done what I thought was right!” Zuko retorted, the flames of the campfire intensifying. Aang, Toph and Sokka got ready to attack him if Katara needed backup.

“Then why are you sneaking around righting wrongs by the Fire Nation Royal Family with me? Why can’t you tell your family, your friends or even your _girlfriend_ about your problems? Why did you choose me as a confidant?” Katara asked him and the fire and waterbender stood there, staring at each other for some time. Prince Zuko opened his mouth to speak to come up with a witty retort, but he was tongue tied. “I’ll let you think about the answers to those questions. Good night, Prince Zuko.”  

Aang, Toph and Sokka gasped when Zuko suddenly grabbed Katara’s hand. The Fire Prince slowly stood so that he was towering over Katara, and looking deeply into her eyes. Sokka noted that with the fire burning in the background and casting an intimate backdrop to Zuko and Katara, the scene looked like one of those extravagant romance novels Fire Nation bookshops and libraries liked to put on their shelves.

“You’re strong. Your essence is overpowering.” Zuko said with a slight blush on his cheeks. “It is your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Katara blinked cutely. 

“They are luminous.” The prince whispered as he lowered his head so he could edge closer to The Painted Lady, coming at Katara with the most classic example of bedroom eyes. “Like starlight”

“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh! Is he doing what I think he’s going to do!” Sokka panicked and reached for his boomerang. “Time to put Lover Boy in a coma!”

“I’m right behind you Sokka!” Aang said as he brandished his airbending staff in an uncharacteristically violent manner.

“Hold it boys!” Toph placed her hands in front of both fellas. “Katara can handle herself.”

And she was right.

Katara stopped Prince Zuko from moving any closer by putting her hand over his lips. The Prince blinked in confusion, but he reluctantly moved back and waited for The Painted Lady to speak.

“I’m not the kind of girl who likes being the other woman.” Katara told him firmly. “Sort out your problems with Mai or break up with her.”

“So… there’s a chance?” Zuko smiled hopefully.

“No.” Katara bluntly told him as she began to walk away. “Sorry, but I’m not a fan of the enemies with benefits relationship.” 

“After all that we’ve done together, I’d hardly call us enemies!” Zuko protested, the hurt in his voice clear as day.

“That doesn’t mean much if you’re still going to defend your family.” Katara frowned, tearing her gaze away from Zuko as she moved to make her way to the gaang’s hiding spot. “Goodbye Zuko. I hope you’re able to find happiness someday.”

It pained Katara to admit that she truly meant what she said.

“HA! Take that, Lover boy!” It pained her further that her brother chose this moment to celebrate Zuko’s rejection. “My sister is too good for the likes of you!”

“Sokka?” Zuko stared at the Water Tribe boy, before connecting the dots and blushing. “Katara?”

“OKAY EVERYONE, TIME TO GET OUTTA HERE!” Toph was the only one left in the group with enough sense to call Appa and get the flying bison to get them the heck out of there – and away from a love-struck Zuko before he realised that he seriously got burned in the love department. Everyone in the group rant to Appa, leaving Zuko to stand there and ponder his life choices.

“I can’t believe you ruined my disguise like that!” Katara groaned, smacking her forehead with her hand and trying to hide her blushing face under her hat.

“Hey, we got some good secrets out of him while it lasted!” Sokka smirked. “And now he knows to stay away from you!”  

“Pfft, you wish.” Toph muttered under breath, using a low tone of voice so that Aang their bison driver couldn’t hear what she was saying. “Sorry Sugar Queen, but when Lover Boy found out it was you under the hat I could feel his heart skip a beat.”

Katara groaned and buried her face in her knees. She truly was deep in air bison poop.

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes: 
> 
> -I... wish I could take credit for the super romantic dialogue, but I actually decided to steal it from this movie clip because I could picture Zuko saying this to Katara so clearly: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_WJWUayxAY 
> 
> -It's a freaking crime we don't have more Zuko/Painted Lady Katara fics so I decided to write that wrong myself. ;) 
> 
> -This is... my final piece for Zutara Week. Out of all the Zutara Weeks I've participated in, this one has been the best. I'm so sorry it's over, but it reminded me of why I love this ship, its fandom and the series itself. Hopefully I'll get to write more fanfiction about these guys later on in the year instead of just writing stuff for Zutara week and then forgetting to put any of my ideas to paper. 
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, left kudos, liked/reblog my fanfiction on tumblr and left really positive comments. It's been a real pleasure participating with you all and I hope to see you next year. 
> 
> Happy Zutara Week 2017!


End file.
